Roommate Advertisements - Making A Great Impression When Replying By Phone
Posted: Friday, October 17, 2008
by Enid Steiner
Flatwithme.com.au
Have you ever hung up the phone after answering a roommate advertisement and thought the conversation could have gone better? Join the club. Many people blurt out the wrong thing, get tongue-tied or leave out important details when talking to a potential roommate for the first time.
The key to being a good phone conversationalist is building a strong rapport with the other person while getting your message across. You can do this by taking a few minutes before ringing the advertiser to prepare a few notes that you can refer to during your conversation. Preparing notes lets you think more clearly which means you're less likely to say the wrong thing or loose your train of thought. This lets you gain self-confidence, which in turn helps you create a free-flowing conversation and make a good first impression. Your notes, for example, might include how you would like to answer different questions or respond to various scenarios during your phone call.
1. Create An Answering Machine Message
You should prepare a short message that you can leave in case you reach the advertiser's answering machine or voicemail. This includes your contact details, the time you called, where you saw the advertisement and that you would like to be called back.
2. Prepare For Question Time
During your phone interview, you may be asked a few questions about your history of living with roommates, why and when you're looking to move and the roommate qualities that are important to you. For this reason, it's important that you prepare how you would like to answer each of these questions so that you don't get caught off guard. You may also like to prepare some questions you would like to ask if you're given the chance.
3. Suggest A Meeting
If you feel the advertiser could be the right roommate, you may like to take the lead and suggest to meet in person. This lets the advertiser know you are seriously looking for a roommate and genuinely feel that they could be the right roommate for you. When you meet your potential roommate, it should be in a public place like a coffee shop or shopping center.
4. Give Your Contact Details
Sometimes when you've build a good rapport with an advertiser, it can be easy to forget to give your details or alternatively the advertiser could misplace them. For this reason, you should make sure that the advertiser has your name and phone number so that they can contact you.
5. Make Notes About Your Phone Call
You should write down the topics covered during your conversation to help you prepare and jog your memory before or during your next phone call or meeting. If you receive a call and you can't remember that you called the advertiser or details of your conversation, your potential roommate may feel you are not serious or interested in becoming their roommate.
By taking the time to prepare before each phone call, you can become a good conversationalist and build the rapport you need to get your message across. More importantly, you'll be able to avoid making any blunders, create a great first impression and find the right roommate for you.
Good luck and happy roommate hunting!
Enid Steiner is a Director of http://www.flatwithme.com.au, an Australian online roommate service. To receive tips and hints about share accommodation straight into your Inbox, sign up to The Sharehouse newsletter today.
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